


In Plain Sight

by jairyn



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Anisoka, Coping Mechanisms, Empire, F/M, Jedi, Loneliness, Sith, Star Wars - Freeform, inquisitors - Freeform, otp, suggestions of rape/non-con, trigger warning, vadful
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:54:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27068227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jairyn/pseuds/jairyn
Summary: Something a little different. With all the anisoka hate going around on instagram, I decided to experiment and see if I could legitimately write Ahsoka with someone else (since I have managed to write Anakin with others). I thought it might also be good practice in creating OCs since a lot of people like to create OCs they ship with main characters.Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you look at it), I failed... Every time I got them close together, I just wanted to bring Anakin or Vader into it because it was frustrating me to pair her with somebody else. And while I don't judge people that ship her with others, it doesn't make sense to me. Or I'm biased... either way.So anyways, I thought my usual readers might enjoy this not anisoka/vadful that ended up still being anisoka/vadful... Uh... yeah lol. (Also I probably write Vader too soft, but I don't care. He's still got Anakin in him even when he's in denial).Also, sorry I've been absent for awhile. I got back from vacation and had to work a ton of overtime to make up for it so I've been exhausted and struggling to write my normal stories. I will get back to them soon and answer my messages!
Relationships: Ahsoka Tano & Darth Vader, Ahsoka Tano/Darth Vader, Ahsoka Tano/OC, Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker/Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 15
Kudos: 87





	In Plain Sight

He leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms. It was a hot day on Garel and right now he’d rather be anywhere else. But there’d been rumors of Rebels operating out of South Hoostra in Garel City, and while his duty didn’t necessarily include stopping rebel cells, he liked using his time off to look around. Anything he uncovered only helped him impress his superiors, though they didn’t need to know he did reconnaissance on the side that allowed him to better predict the actions of his prey.

He was one of the few inquisitors that weren’t created monsters. He was still human in appearance, and while there were small ways the Sith corruption had begun to surface, he was lucky enough that he could for the most part hide his true identity when he was not dressed for work.

He hadn’t wanted to turn but he wasn’t ready to be one with the force, there was too much left in life he wanted to experience. But hunting down his former Jedi brethren was not as desirable to him as his brothers. To them it was a game, a lust for power. For him, it was a regrettable action. But nobody was strong enough to resist the Empire forever and he much preferred converting them to killing them. 

The way he figured it; was it gave the Jedi a chance to hide in plain sight. If they joined the empire’s legions and committed to the dark side, they didn’t have to live on the run. The tricky part came if, or when, the day they could restore the order. While living within the Empire was not ideal, it did offer certain rewards that they’d been otherwise denied.

He scanned the room, half bored. He doubted the Rebels would be dumb enough to show up in a cantina boasting about their latest victory over the Empire. It was getting late and he wanted to do some leg work if nothing was going to happen here. He looked up in surprise, it took all his trained self-control to not react when he felt her enter.

She was alive? It couldn’t be real! There’d been rumors she’d survived the purge but if she had, she’d been as elusive as a ghost. He studied her cautiously, doing everything in his power not to draw attention to himself. She wore a hood and cape, but it hardly covered the shape of her head, what she was still too obvious. From what he could see of her features, they’d softened in maturity, beautiful but sad; pained. It shouldn’t have hurt to see the suffering written all over her face, but it did. 

He doubted she’d remember him, they’d only talked once, years ago. Back before everything had crumbled. He’d looked up to her, admired her from a far. She was beautiful, funny, kind and fierce when she believed in something. And damn, she was powerful too. She had to be right? She’d been Skywalker’s apprentice. The fact that she’d survived when he hadn’t was an ode to her strength. 

He glanced around. She appeared to be alone. It didn’t look like she was waiting for anyone, but for her to make an appearance, even here on Garel, meant something. He was sure of it. He was compelled to talk to her, but for once... not because it was his job to find surviving Jedi.

“I’m surprised you’re not too hot in that cloak,” he said as casually as he could manage, once he’d approached her. 

“Excuse me?” she said, her voice soft... sad. It made his heart ache. Maybe there was still hope for him. 

“I just meant the weather. It’s so hot and your cloak looks heavy.” He sat down on the stool next to her.

“Oh,” she murmured as though she hadn’t even noticed the heat. Which furthered confirmed for him she was here for a reason not just a night out on the town. He watched her hands as they absentmindedly played with the glass in front of her. There was so much he wanted to say to her, so much he’d always imagined they could talk about, but now... she was so quiet, so reserved, so... lost. He knew the feeling, he felt it every time he met a surviving Jedi. They were all lost, shells of what they’d once been; shadows, barely even echoes of thriving people. 

And while he was used to it, it didn’t stop the lurch of pain that someone who had once been so full of life was now so drained and empty. He could still feel her power, still sure she’d not lost her will in the force. But something had destroyed her optimism, her joy, her happy and friendly nature. Normally he’d blame the empire, the purge and the resulting circumstances, but he strongly suspected some of it had started before any of that. It wasn’t fair what had happened to her, what the council had done. And his anger over it still burned his insides.

“I’m Virii,” he said finally. He knew she wouldn’t recognize his name. The one time they’d talked before, names had never come up. “I’m new to Garel, but I like it so far. Have you lived here long or just passing through?”

“Uh,” she hesitated, he didn’t blame her. It wasn’t like you could live a normal life when you’re constantly on the run. “Ashla,” she whispered finally. He almost didn’t stop the smile in time. He felt like telling her not to be so obvious, but he didn’t want to reveal anything to her. As if he needed to ask her name anyways. She was Ahsoka Tano, the former padawan of Anakin Skywalker, the chosen one. She was a Togruta, a rarity among the Jedi, and in the galaxy anymore. At least anywhere other than Shili. 

He waited a few minutes to see if she’d say anything else, but she bowed her head and took a sip of her drink. He felt her tense though when several stormtroopers entered. Oh great, the last thing he needed were those nuisances spooking her. One of them hit their blaster rifle on the far end of the bar counter and yelled at the bartender to switch the holoradio to an imperial channel. The other two argued with several patrons nearby. 

Ahsoka’s fingers tightened on her glass as she desperately tried not to draw attention to herself. The stormtroopers were coming closer, harassing every person as they went by. He needed to act fast. He picked up his glass and started moving towards them like he was drunk. 

He purposely ran into one of them and they all turned and started yelling at him. He threw his drink at the other and let them wrestle him to the ground. He ignored the pain and their comments as he watched her through their legs. She slipped past them and disappeared out of the bar. Damn it!

As soon as she was gone, he waved his hands in front of their faces and sent them on their way, racing to follow her before she got too far away. It took him awhile to find her again, but he finally caught up to her several alleys away. He felt stupid for pursuing her, but he couldn’t let her leave. He knew that on duty or not, he should call her in. She was the type of prize that would give him an instant promotion to grand inquisitor. One of the few favored by Darth Vader himself. Even just the information she was alive would help his career within the Empire.

While most believed she’d been killed at the end of the war, she’d be a prisoner the Emperor himself would want to see. While never a member of the council, or even a Knight, she was one of the few remaining that was powerful enough to be a problem. In fact, if there was any way to get her to Darth Vader... _No_ , he shook his head. He couldn’t turn _her_ in.

“Hey, Ashla!” he called after her. “Wait up!” She spun around, looking a little wild-eyed about being followed. He stopped a few paces away, so she didn’t start running. “Sorry,” he said quickly. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

She glanced past him as though she expected there to be troops following him, but they were alone in the alleyway. “What do you want with me?” she asked nervously.

“I just wanted to talk. Why are you running from the stormtroopers?”

She studied him a moment, he felt her reach out in the force. He did everything he could to close it down, so she didn’t suspect anything. “It’s past curfew,” she whispered finally. “I didn’t need any trouble.”

“Why would they give you trouble? You seem like a perfect law-abiding citizen to me.” _Shit... too far._ Her eyes narrowed and snapped back to his face.

“Who are you?” she asked, making a move to reach for a weapon. 

He put his hands up. “Just a friend, I swear it.”

“Why did you distract those stormtroopers?”

“Because they’re really great at ruining what otherwise would have been a nice evening.” He rolled his eyes. 

“I don’t trust you,” she said finally, and his heart clenched in his chest. “I’m not an idiot. The only reason you’re not dead right now pulling a stunt like that is because you work for the Empire.”

“I don’t,” he lied, ignoring the chalky taste in his mouth. “I just talked my way out of it. They’re not that smart you know, it’s pretty easy.”

She looked around again and he heard it too. She ducked into the shadows and he followed. They waited in silence as a patrol went by. “You’re way too confident on Empire controlled worlds to be a normal citizen,” she said once the patrol had passed them by. “Why are you following me?”

He waited almost too long to answer, debating with himself on what to say. Should he tell her he used to be a Jedi too? “Look,” he whispered. “I know who you are.” She reached for her weapons again. He put his hands up again. “You don’t remember me, but I remember you. You were Skywalker’s apprentice. We all looked up to you. The two of you... were unstoppable. When I saw you walk in the cantina tonight, I got so excited. You were still alive! You’d survived!”

She stared at him with her piercing blue eyes. “You were a Jedi?”

Another patrol forced them to push back further into a dark corner of the alleyway. Only this time they were right in each other’s face. He tried to shield her from view as much as possible. But she was no longer paying attention to the stormtroopers wandering the city. She was looking up at him, reading his face. He knew it was only a matter of time before she figured out the truth, she was way too powerful for him to hide it forever.

But he liked the way she felt there, between him and the stone wall. To say he had a crush on her was the understatement of the year. As a Jedi he’d been forced to ignore those feelings, but as a Sith... he could act on them whenever he wanted. And frankly, he wanted to right now. They were pressed close, her body against his. It was distracting and taking all his willpower not to lean down and kiss her right this second. 

“I was only a year younger than you,” he breathed finally, memorizing her features now that he could get a better look. You and Skywalker were practically celebrities within the order. At least to the padawans.” He shifted so he could move closer. He knew none of this was appropriate, but he never thought he’d get a chance with her and he really _really_ wanted to act on it.

She watched him with her bright inquisitive eyes as he leaned in. She didn’t push him away, but she didn’t exactly give in either. He met her lips gently at first, testing the waters. She easily could have thrown him back, so he took it as a good sign that she hadn’t. He pressed in a little further, growing bolder the longer it went on and she didn’t pull away. He brought his fingers up and brushed her cheek, trailing them softly along her jaw.

“What was that for?” she whispered breathlessly. 

“I guess I just always wanted to know what that was like.” He ran his fingers along her shoulder and down her arm, amazed in fact that she wasn’t really resisting. Maybe she was lonely too.

“A kiss?”

“Not just any kiss,” he said huskily. “One with you.”

“Me?” she said in surprise.

“I told you, I always looked up to you. I always hoped you’d notice me.” He read her eyes for a minute before leaning in again. He kissed her one more time, wanting to probe deeper but he felt her pulling away this time. He’d gone too far. He let her go in disappointment. “But everybody knew you were sweet on your master, so... I never told you how I felt.”

“Anakin...” she breathed and the sorrow in her words grasped his heart and clenched with brute force. Finally, he understood the written pain across her soul. She’d been more than sweet on Skywalker; she’d loved him deeply. Losing him had destroyed her. She wasn’t lost like the other surviving Jedi, she was broken, mourning. 

He felt a rush of anger but tried to swallow it before she noticed. Whatever memories had washed through her, seemed to have distracted her so much she hadn’t noticed thankfully. “Come with me, I know a safe place we could talk more,” he begged.

She looked up at him again and he saw clear hesitation written in her features. “I really shouldn’t...”

“Please... you don’t know how long I’ve been looking for another-“ She put her finger to his lips and he realized if he’d said the word, it could have ruined any chance with her. 

She was the first one he’d met that was cautious to this degree. Which now that he thought about it was probably why she’d survived this long. The others were taken in by the relief of no longer being alone, but Ahsoka... she was used to it. To survive, she’d had to learn how to be alone. And in point of fact, she’d been alone even before the purge. She unfairly had more experience than most, existing without the Jedi community. He suddenly had the urge to remind her what it was like to not be alone. 

“Tell me where your safe place is and I’ll find my own way there,” she whispered finally. “We’ll be faster and less conspicuous if we split up.”

He knew as soon as she said it that despite him telling the truth about having been a Jedi, she didn’t trust him. And she wanted an out. Which meant she was going to scout the place out and decide whether or not to show herself again. And that meant... if anything spooked her, he probably wasn’t going to see her if he let her go now. But he also knew, that if he didn’t agree to her terms, he’d have to take her down and subdue her first, which is not how he wanted this relationship to start.

If Ahsoka was this paranoid, it was going to take a lot of convincing and a lot of trust for her to join the inquisitors. But he still wanted to experience her in bed, and he seemed to have his work cut out for him on that front. While she hadn’t resisted the kisses, he could tell she would not open herself willingly.

“Good idea,” he said, hoping she hadn’t noticed the thoughts that had jumbled through him before arriving at defeat. Now he just had to figure out how to convince her his home in the middle of the imperial district was safe. Since now he was suddenly sure she was familiar enough with Garel to know where it was located. “I’ll take the shortcut; you circle around, and I’ll meet you there in thirty minutes.”

She nodded and glanced at her wrist comm as it lit up with the coordinates, he’d sent her. He saw her eyes narrow when she looked at them, but he didn’t wait around for her to ask. He took off running through the force, making it home in record time. 

He immediately went to work clearing any hint he worked for the imperials and made a few false calls to the ground troops to route their movements away from his house. He knew she was probably out there watching, and he paced around in anxious anticipation. It was too convenient; she’d probably suspect it. She already thought he seemed way too comfortable on an imperial controlled world, and he was. He had no fear of being caught by them. And _she_ would notice that.

He smacked himself on the head. How could he have forgotten that Skywalker was a master strategist? Of course, Ahsoka would have learned plenty about it from him. And here he was, completely losing his cool because she was still alive. _Stupid stupid stupid_. 

He slumped down on the bed in his small one room apartment. It was temporary lodging to pretend he lived here during his reconnaissance, so while not officially imperial lodging, it wasn’t exactly a place he’d planned on bringing wayward Jedi back to. She wasn’t going to come, and he felt the disappointment on a much deeper level than he’d expected. 

This wasn’t about his duty anymore, this went deeper. His feelings for her hadn’t died, and suddenly he’d gladly give up his work to have her in his arms tonight. 

He wasn’t sure how much time passed when he heard a strange tapping sound on the roof. He looked around in surprise and then he heard it again. Three taps, a pause, two taps, and another pause. And then it dawned on him, it was an old Jedi code. His heart leapt into his throat, despite the confusion that it wasn’t coming from the front door. He looked around until he saw the hatch in the ceiling and pushed a chair over to unlock it. 

He moved out of the way as Ahsoka dropped effortlessly through the hatch onto the chair, without making a sound. Then she waved her hand, closing it behind her. Satisfied it was locked again, she looked around and then met his eyes. “What?” she asked.

“You sure know how to make an entrance,” he said finally. She shrugged and got down. Then she went around and closed the blinds and locked the front door. “You know the door does work?”

“Too obvious,” she replied without skipping a beat. She set a device down on the table and he recognized the pocket-sized scrambler. It meant no transmissions could be sent or received and no one would be able to scan any signals inside his apartment. It also meant if he’d planted any listening devices, they wouldn’t record a thing. Frankly, he hadn’t even thought to do that, since he’d been too consumed by his fear she wouldn’t show. Apparently satisfied she was safe, and the space was private for now, she sat down at the table and threw back her hood. “You know you live in the middle of the imperial sector, right?”

He studied her for a moment, still feeling a strange fluttering feeling that she’d come after all. Then he finally moved over and sat opposite of her. “I was wondering about that,” he murmured. “I didn’t know before I rented the apartment.”

“So how did you survive the purge?” she asked, suddenly far more talkative than she’d been in the alley. “I confess it’s nice to find another survivor.”

“I wasn’t at the temple when it happened,” he replied. It was the same tired story he told every Jedi he met. “My master and I had been working undercover on Dantooine. When he got the message from Obi Wan, he told me we had to split up and blend in with the crowd. I moved from place to place, kept a low profile. I don’t think anybody ever really suspected it thankfully. I was so scared to use the force, I just went on pretending I was a nobody. It got to the point where it just felt like our undercover mission had been extended indefinitely. For awhile, I almost managed to convince myself I’d never been a Jedi and maybe because of that, I stopped being so afraid they’d find me out.”

“Did you hear from your master again?” She tipped her head to the side and he wasn’t sure if she bought his story. He drew his hands together and dropped his gaze to the table, looking appropriately in mourning.

“No, but a few months later I heard in the news he’d been caught and shipped off to an unknown location. I doubt he came out of it alive; I haven’t felt him since.” She didn’t need to know his master had been one of his first recruits as an inquisitor.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, reaching across the table and squeezing his hand. He liked the way it felt and couldn’t resist the urge to cover it with his other hand and hold her there. 

“It’s been difficult,” he said, choking up. “To stay above the tide. Not because I fear the imperials, but the loneliness... I think it’s worse than death. I feel like that’s the true torture imposed on people like us. We’re not meant to be out here on our own with nowhere to belong. I just feel so lost.”

“I understand,” she breathed, and silence fell between them, but she didn’t pull away. He started rubbing circles across the back of her hand with his thumb. She seemed to watch what he was doing in curiosity. It might still be possible for his greatest dream. 

“I apologize if I was too forward in the alley, but my relief of seeing _you_ alive of all people, it got the better of me. I should have been more careful.” She didn’t say anything, and he lifted his gaze to her face, admiring the way her lashes brushed her cheek when she blinked slowly. “But I meant what I said, about my feelings for you,” he continued. He stood up when she still didn’t speak, she seemed to be deep in thought. “Would you like something to drink?”

She nodded absentmindedly and he headed to the larder to fix them both a drink. When he returned, he set it in front of her and put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. She looked up at him and he felt another wave of longing crash through him as he saw the brilliant and yet deep sorrow in her eyes. He set his glass down too and brought his fingers to her cheek and caressed them.

“If, you know, you didn’t want to feel so alone tonight, you’re welcome to stay.” She rolled her bottom lip looking unsure. He leaned down; he couldn’t resist anymore. She wasn’t saying no but she also wasn’t leaping into his arms like he’d hoped. Her body had responded positively to his attention earlier in the alley but that didn’t mean it was in the bag yet.

“Was that why you invited me here?” she asked finally.

“No, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested.” He met her lips again, and again she didn’t pull away. He grew bolder the longer it went on, slipping his fingers behind her neck to pull her closer. Her hand tightened on the one he was holding her with, but it didn’t seem to be to push him away. 

He reached forward and unclasped her cloak, letting it fall to the floor. Then he pulled her to her feet, so he didn’t have to keep bending over to kiss her. At some point, she did start to respond in small ways, opening up for him, arching towards him, even doing her own explorations. 

“It’s been a long time since I felt anything this wonderful,” he whispered against her lips. She nodded a little in a kind of dazed state. He could feel her inexperience when it came to physical affection, which meant despite the closeness of her relationship with her master, they must never have gone there. He slid his hands across her shoulders and down her arms, wanting to touch and explore every part of her body, grateful she wasn’t resisting. 

He kissed down to her jaw and she tipped her head back as he explored her neck. Despite presumably enjoying his attention, she still slipped out of his grasp and crossed her arms nervously in front of her.

“I know all about being lonely,” she whispered. “But these kinds of nights don’t fill those holes.”

He swallowed his annoyance and sat back down at the table. When she didn’t move, he gestured to the seat she’d been in before. 

“You’re right,” he said finally. “I don’t know what came over me. It definitely wasn’t very Jedi-like.” But it was very _Sith_ -like, and that part was becoming harder to resist. Especially now that she was so close and locked in. Though he knew no locks on this flimsy little hovel would hold her long if she chose to escape with the force. She studied him for a few more minutes and then finally moved back towards the table, picked up her cloak and sat back down in the chair. “I’m not really surprised that you survived the purge, since you were no longer at the temple. But how did you get away unnoticed? With clones everywhere, that can’t have been easy. Especially since a lot of them would have recognized you.”

“Well, I...” she hesitated, and he took a sip of his drink and stared at the table. 

He didn’t blame her for not wanting to tell her secrets. It was very likely that those secrets were part of what had kept her alive. And to a fellow survivor, sharing the story might not seem like that big of a deal. But since she didn’t think she could trust him and he could use that information against her, he expected some kind of excuse for why she wouldn’t say. 

“I got lucky, I guess,” she whispered finally. He could tell by the way she dropped her head that she hadn’t slipped away under the radar while everybody forgot about her. There’d been an ache in her words. A deep-threaded trauma in the middle of an already broken soul. Whatever had happened to her when the order was given, it hadn’t been fast, simple or easy. And it definitely hadn’t been lucky. Which had to mean, she’d been somewhere near a lot of clones when it happened. Though considering she’d left the order a year before the purge, he wondered how that could be.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked. I guess we all have our scars.”

“It just brought back a lot of memories, that’s all,” she said, playing with her fingers. “I was on a cruiser, on the way back to Coruscant. I had half of Anakin’s troops with me, a couple of them... I’d known from the beginning of the war. Some of my oldest friends. They’d gone off to report in, share the news that we’d completed our objective and were returning. I stayed on the bridge. Then this horrible feeling hit me... I’m sure you felt it too. Like the force just... started screaming all at once. I went running to tell Rex something had happened and suddenly... all my friends, all these men I’d served with for years... were pointing their weapons at me.”

She dropped her hands on the table and he saw her knuckles go white from the way she gripped it. “Hey,” he whispered, trying to comfort her. He reached out and peeled her hands off the table so he could hold them. “It’s okay, it’s over now. Breathe.” She nodded absentmindedly and he rubbed her hands softly until she relaxed again. “Wait, I thought you left the order, why were you on a Jedi cruiser?”

“I did,” she sighed. “But... I was recruited by an old acquaintance to help remove Darth Maul from Mandalore. Long story, but we _did_ manage to capture him. I’m afraid however, in the chaos surrounding order 66, he got away too.”

“What about your master? Was he with you?” He hated bringing Skywalker up knowing her pain and obsession in regard to him, but honestly he’d been dying to know how the chosen one had died. The news reports had claimed he’d been killed during the attack on the temple, but surely if Ahsoka had been back at the time, he would have been with her. They’d been practically inseparable back in the day, he couldn’t imagine anywhere she’d go that he wouldn’t follow in order to protect her. At least not while she’d been his padawan. 

“No,” she choked. “He was supposed to accompany me to Mandalore. Him and master Kenobi. But enroute, they got word that the chancellor had been kidnapped and we had to split our forces and go our separate ways. Last I saw him, he was running off to save Coruscant.”

There were tears slipping down her cheeks now and she pulled her hands back to wipe them on her sleeve.

“The holonews said he died during the attack on the temple a few days later.” She rolled her lips. “It doesn’t feel like he’s gone but... I can’t find him in the force anymore. I can’t feel him, so I guess he is.”

“Do you think it’s possible they could have been mistaken about his death? I mean, he was far more powerful than the rest of us, it seems unlikely even a mass of clones would have taken him down.” Despite not wanting to keep her thinking about Skywalker, he really did want to know her thoughts on him potentially faking his death. Not just because of all the prophecy nonsense, but because the potential to turn him into an inquisitor. It would wipe out every ounce of resistance. It could singlehandedly bring the Jedi back to life. Allow the purge to be lifted and restore the order. All he’d have to do was say the word and he’d have an army of ex-Jedi ready to turn on the imperials in an instant. He’d be that beacon of hope that pretending to be a Sith, that all this hiding in plain sight, wasn’t for nothing. 

“Well obviously I’d never wish to think he was killed but... if he wasn’t, where could he be? It’s been fourteen years. There’s been no whisper that he could have survived. I want to believe it, but I can’t. How do you mourn someone that just went missing from your soul? There’s no closure, no certainty, just empty space where they used to be. Some days I feel like there is more empty space than filled space.”

“I forgot how close you two were,” he said solemnly.

“He was my best friend, not just my master.” She took a sip of the drink he’d given her earlier. 

“You loved him.”

She looked up at him, her eyes piercing and intense. “Like he was my family, yes.” It struck him how strange it was for her to say it that way. It had been obvious at the temple how much she adored him. She followed him around like a lost puppy just waiting for a bone. She fiercely defended him whenever necessary and was strangely protective of him despite being the learner instead of vice versa. Every time he’d been mentioned tonight, there’d been a howling streak of pain releasing from her like it was just as fresh despite his death having happened so long ago. So, either she didn’t understand how deep her feelings for him went, or she was purposely trying to downplay them whenever possible. 

He read her eyes for a few minutes before she finally looked away. “Either you’ve forgotten what it’s like to be around other Jedi, or you can’t face your feelings,” he said finally. “Because it’s obvious to me they run deeper than you say.” He took another long drink and set the empty cup back down. “There’s a reason I never told you how I felt back then, it’s because of how obviously you loved him. Everybody saw it, but you’re the only one that seems to be in denial. It’s just as obvious now that you had or still have feelings for him. You want to believe he’s still out there somewhere. In fact, I’d wager you _need_ to believe it. Otherwise you’d feel completely lost.”

“What is this? An interrogation?” She narrowed her eyes at him.

“No, just an observation,” he murmured. “The offer to stay still stands. I can feel your loneliness. I thought you’d want to feel less alone like I do. I guess I’m just out of practice talking to people freely. It’s hard to think about the world when this wasn’t the norm anymore.” He shrugged and leaned back into the chair. “I guess this is our lives now. Always looking over our shoulders, desperate to make a connection but terrified to do so. Living in the trauma of our past and memories. And running more from ourselves than from the Empire. The purge did more than kill us, it destroyed our sense of self. Who are we now?”

She didn’t say anything for awhile, but she took a few more sips of her drink. “Lost.” Her voice was low and sad. 

“Do you think it’s possible to ever feel found again?” he asked curiously. She blinked away her thoughts and took another sip.

“For most of us, I think we need to just feel like a part of something again. For others, I’m not sure.” He got the distinct impression she was one of the ‘others’ she was referring to. Rebuilding the Jedi order wouldn’t fill what she was missing. She’d lost it before the Jedi died. He watched her finish her drink and sit back. He offered her another, but she shook her head. “Maybe you were right, I’m lonelier than I realized,” she said after awhile.

“We all are,” he whispered hoarsely. Did that mean she was coming around? That maybe she’d decide she didn’t want to feel alone anymore? At least not for the night?

They sat in silence for what seemed like a long time. It was getting increasingly difficult to resist moving over and just taking her into his arms. He wanted to hold her and kiss her and fill all her loneliness with something hot and fresh and good. But he also didn’t want to push her because the next time she might just leave. 

His eyes followed her up as she stood, she was holding her cloak that had been resting in her lap. _Speaking of leaving_... she looked indecisive for a moment and then finally she set it down on the table. He watched her reach behind her and unclasp the armor plate she wore and then she took off her gloves. He couldn’t help but feel the anticipation rising, but despite her shaky yet determined movements, it took him a moment to really understand that she had chosen to stay. 

He didn’t want to know what had changed, or why she was suddenly willing to. He just wanted to make love to her. Maybe together they could erase the emptiness they both felt. She dropped her belt on the table and looked at him. “I don’t normally do this, but...” She paused long enough to exhale. “It’s nice to find another survivor, one that understands what it’s like and well... I don’t want to feel so alone anymore.” Her words had sounded strangled, like it was difficult for her to get them out. 

But he was on his feet anyways, taking her in his arms before she could change her mind. “There’s nothing wrong with that,” he whispered against her lips. “We’re still people and people have needs; just because we were once Jedi doesn’t change that.”

He helped her over to the bed, kissing every part of her skin he could reach. He wanted to be slow and savor every inch, but he was too excited to take his time. He fumbled through getting his clothes off and the rest of hers, he covered her body in kisses and licks and nibbles until he couldn’t stand it anymore. 

He laid her back and spread her legs, somewhat enjoying her docility and the way she let him lead. She moaned a few times, returned a few kisses, dug into his skin with her fingers. But overall, she let him move them from moment to moment. Let him decide when to switch or how to move. He could feel her inexperience but could also tell she had in fact done it before. And while that surprised him, he was too lost in the rhythm to really care. She had admitted after all, that she didn’t normally do this, not that she never had. 

He filled himself with her, her sounds, her presence, her smell... the feel of her skin. He let it all mix together to intoxicate his senses. He enjoyed the way they moved together, ignoring the meager surroundings and grunting and groaning in pleasure. 

Finally, he couldn’t hold it in anymore and he released, taking a moment to catch his breath before collapsing onto her and then rolling off onto his back. She didn’t say much of anything, which was fine. He was too spent and fuzzy to have a decent conversation. And it wasn’t long before he felt her roll towards the wall and fall asleep. 

He smiled at the ceiling. She’d been divine. Every inch of her as marvelous as he’d always believed she would be. And he still couldn’t believe she was here with him right now. While this night had been born of loneliness, he had no doubt she’d want to stick around and together maybe they could take on the world. He wasn’t sure what it would take to convince her to become an inquisitor, but he’d have to worry about that in the morning.

He rolled towards her and ran his fingers up her side, enjoying the shape of her curves and the feel of her skin, then he pulled her back into him so he could feel as much of her against him as possible. He waved his hand and brought the blanket up over them, before continuing to caress her skin and lick and kiss her shoulder. 

When he finally exhausted himself with his explorations, he nuzzled into her neck and fell asleep.

Neither of them had moved much in the night and he awoke to her still up against him breathing deeply. It took a few moments for the fog of sleep to clear enough to register what had awoken him. He felt the rush of cold air, the way the hatred electrified the air and finally it dawned on him. _Oh no_... what was _he_ doing here?

He scrambled out of bed trying not to wake her and pulled on his clothes as fast as he could. Then he ran to the front door, frantically unlocked it and slipped outside. He dropped into a deep bow, hoping the door had shut before his master had seen what was inside there.

“My lord,” he groveled. “What brings you to Garel?”

“Why were you not answering your summons, inquisitor?” Lord Vader rasped heavily.

He thought about the jammer she’d put on the table and his eyes widened. He’d been off duty, but he was supposed to always be available. He’d been so distracted by Ahsoka, he’d forgotten all about it. “I... didn’t get them, my lord,” he said weakly. “My communicator must be malfunctioning.” 

“Imagine my surprise,” Vader said slowly, and he winced at the anger and emphasis he put into every word. “When I’m told that a rebel cell slipped off Garel in the middle of the night. And come to find out that one of my best inquisitors was here when it happened. And more than that, learn that false orders were given to the patrols that opened up an escape route for them. And then,” he paused for dramatic effect, and he flinched. “Learn that two of those Rebels were surviving Jedi. Which at its most basic, is your core responsibility to prevent their escape or freedom.”

His mind was racing, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He hadn’t felt any other Jedi or disturbance or anything. Because from the moment Ahsoka had appeared in the cantina, all his thoughts had been on her. And in his effort to bed her, it had never once occurred to him that _she_ could be playing him instead. Yet suddenly all these various memories from the past night drifted back into his head. How he’d thought her appearance meant something big. Of course, it had, she’d been here to help the other rebels escape. How she’d insisted they go separate ways back to his apartment, of course, so she could scout ahead and report to her friends. How sure she’d been that he was too comfortable here, she probably had suspected what he really was and decided to keep him busy. How she’d placed a jammer on his table, so he’d not hear any transmissions or alarms of the escape. And then the last of her deception; she’d agreed to stay, effectively turning his attention from anything that could be going on out there. He’d been outplayed, and now he would suffer for it.

“Restrain him,” Vader said to the other imperials present, and force cuffs were immediately snapped onto his wrists. “Your actions feel traitorous, inquisitor. For your sake, you better hope I’m wrong.”

“No wait,” he said, but his master ignored him and opened the door, disappearing through it. He hoped Ahsoka had escaped somehow, even if he knew the trouble he was in, because otherwise... lord Vader finding her in his apartment like that would surely seal his fate. His failure to not notice a whole rebellion escape, coupled with finding him in bed with a Jedi survivor? Every meticulous and flawless check on his record just crumbled.

—-

“Virii?” Vader stopped just inside the door as it closed behind him, his breath caught in his throat. It couldn’t be. Her eyes widened when she rolled over and she instantly sat up, pulling the covers up with her. He felt a rush of hatred towards his inquisitor. He’d known he was hiding something, but this... was a whole different level. He peeled his eyes off her and saw her clothes strewn about the room, her lightsabers still hooked to her belt on the table. He saw the mini-jammer next to it and he summoned it to his hand, crunching it in his fist just to release some of the building pressure. 

He couldn’t think of anything to say. There weren’t words. He didn’t even know she was still alive and then to find her in bed with one of his servants? It was... appalling.

He moved towards the bed, reaching for his lightsaber just in case she decided to fight her way out of this. To his surprise though, other than glancing around for a possible escape, she didn’t really move. He grabbed her arm and pulled her off the bed and to her feet and she dropped the blanket in the process. Other than looking her over to see if she was injured, he didn’t really pay attention to her naked body. He was just burning inside, burning out of control. 

He twisted her arms behind her back and snapped the other set of force cuffs over them, grateful he’d thought to bring two. Not that he’d known he’d be dealing with more than his inquisitor. But then he turned his back, looked around for her dress and pulled it to his hand. She watched him with her eyes narrowed but still hints of curiosity as he bent down and opened the fabric for her to step into. There was something strangely intimate about dressing her and he felt a rush of something else spread through him. It was his duty to take her to his master, to Sidious. But he’d rather take her home. 

He hid the way his arms shook as he pulled the fabric up to cover her and fastened it behind her neck. He wanted to reach out and touch her cheek, to ask if she was okay, to know how she’d survived or where she’d been all these years. He wanted to tell her who he was and why he cared. He wanted to know how she’d ended up here, in bed with his inquisitor. But really none of that mattered nearly as much as feeling her standing there in front of him, like the millions of times she’d done so before. He reached out and set his hand on her shoulder, barely squeezing it before pushing her down on the bed into a sitting position. 

Once again, he knelt down, taking care to help her put her boots back on and he felt her confusion deepen. But still he said nothing, and neither did she. There was something floating there between them, in the force. For her to not resist this, for her to come quietly, for her to not fight, or argue or attempt to flee... perhaps his inquisitor had done something good after all. Well good for him, not for her. 

He felt the swirl of defeat as it tickled his senses, not from being captured or restrained, but from something deeper. As though in the course of last night, she’d lost all reason to keep fighting. He didn’t trust himself to speak, afraid he’d give it all away. Yet at the same time, he so desperately wanted to hear her voice, to hear her talk, even if it was to do nothing but talk back to him. Her silence was burning him, eating away at him. The defeat and sense of overwhelming loss echoed the feelings he’d been using as fuel for so many years. She was nothing like his once vibrant young apprentice, full of life and optimism, humor and games. She was just a shell of broken pieces barely still woven together. She was like him, but not dark. 

He reached into the pocket of his belt and pulled out these magnetic shoe clamps. They were new imperial tech, a handy way to keep people, especially former Jedi, from running away. He snapped them around her ankles and under the arch of each foot. For someone as fast and acrobatic as her, they were a necessary restraint. Though he was starting to wonder just how necessary _any_ restraint was since she’d not resisted anything he’d done since entering the room. 

Once he managed to get off the floor, made more difficult by his heavy mechanical limbs, he pulled her back to her feet. He grabbed her lightsabers off the table and hooked them to his belt, before taking her upper arm and guiding her out the door. 

He felt the change in his servant when he came out with her and he could tell he hadn’t hoped she’d still be inside when he went in to check. Only further proving he’d been distracted, deceived or purposely in on the escape plot. He could tell his servant had deep feelings for her and that only served to anger him more. 

He reached out his hand that wasn’t holding her and lifted him off the ground by his neck. “I’m disappointed in you, inquisitor.” He felt the jolt that went through Ahsoka and realized she hadn’t known his true nature. He dropped him. “Take him back to the academy for retraining,” he ordered. “And tell his instructors to spare no mercy. If it doesn’t stick this time, kill him.”

“Yes, my lord,” the stormtroopers replied in unison. 

“What about her?” his servant cried. “I was trying to...” he trailed off as he stepped up in front of him, pulling Ahsoka along with him. 

“I’m taking her to the Emperor,” he said angrily. “And you’re responsible for her fate.”

He saw the way his servant looked up at her, the apology, the emotion in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” his inquisitor whispered. “I was... I’d hoped to help you, not get you into trouble. If you became an inquisitor too, you wouldn’t have to hide anymore.” He suspected by the way he said the words he didn’t think he could hear him but was sure Ahsoka could.

He waited a moment out of curiosity, just to see what Ahsoka would say in response. She was quiet for so long he was starting to think she’d never speak at all. And... much to his disappointment she didn’t. But then again, he’d felt her judgement in the force. He’d felt the repulsion and betrayal. And he’d felt the sinking feeling that she’d lost any desire to fight or stand up for herself. So, there’d been no words, but she’d said plenty. 

He exhaled in annoyance, knowing they’d hear nothing, but the steady mechanical breathing and he tugged on Ahsoka’s arm. She didn’t fight his command and walked alongside him in continued silence. He led her aboard a shuttle and then to the bridge of Tarkin’s cruiser, and then he gave the orders to take him home.

“With all due respect, my lord,” an officer said timidly. “Should we take the prisoner to a cell?”

“No,” he rasped. “I want her to stay here.” He moved them both up close to the transparasteel glass and then locked the foot magnets he’d placed on her earlier so she couldn’t move from that spot. He never let go of her arm, because there was something about having her standing beside him on a bridge again that filled a deep-seated need. He just wished she was here by choice. Though it might be possible to convince her to turn, considering how little she was resisting all of this. 

He closed his eyes once they were under way, feeling her in the force. There was something off about her, something beyond the defeat he kept feeling from her. Something that happened in regard to his inquisitor. Like old wounds had been reopened, memories she’d tried to forget had poured back in. Feelings she’d been ignoring, or downplaying had surfaced once again, stronger than ever. She felt hollow, like whatever it was ravaged her soul like a disease could ravage a body. What could cause that? 

She felt strangely altered too, as if she’d been under the influence of some kind of drug. Had his inquisitor done the unthinkable? Is that why she wasn’t really resisting? Some drug was still in her system? He wanted to ask, but he couldn’t let the other imperials hear his concern. But if she hadn’t been there by choice last night, he would be on his way to Nur first thing tomorrow, to kill that worm himself.

Unable to stand his curiosity, he unlocked her foot restraints and pulled her with him to the medbay. He made all the imperials leave and activated a doctor droid instead, ordering it to scan her. And take a blood sample. He paced around in agitation while her eyes followed him around the room.

He poured over the results feeling the anger seething in him. Maybe to anybody else, he couldn’t care, but to Ahsoka? It boiled his blood. He deactivated the droid, set down the data pad and looked back at her. “What did he do to you?” he demanded, struggling to regulate the tone or tempo of his voice. 

She tipped her head to the side. “I’m sure no worse than you or the Emperor will,” she whispered finally. He looked back up at her, surprised she’d finally spoken. He felt his heart clench as though he’d somehow forgotten they were still on opposite sides. She might as well have taken those words and branded them into his skin for how painful they were. 

“Was it by choice or did he take it?” He balled his hand into a fist, feeling the stress he was putting on the gears.

“Why would you care?” she asked. Then she looked away. 

“The Empire has standards,” he said in a raspy voice, knowing what a weak sounding argument that was as soon as he said it. 

“Yeah, to completely and utterly annihilate freedom and prosperity, en masse.” 

“That’s not...” He sighed. It wasn’t safe here, to talk freely. It wasn’t safe anywhere, but he still needed to know. Had she wanted it or had his inquisitor taken advantage of her? “Answer the question; did you consent?”

“Yes,” she said simply. And he could tell as soon as she said it that was all she’d say. And yet, despite her answer, he felt the lie. Or rather, that while she might have gone along with it, it hadn’t exactly been her choice or desire.

“Why?” he asked before he could stop himself. He saw the answer in her eyes before she clamped it down and he felt something else trickle through him. Something he hadn’t felt in years. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and took a deep breath. 

Then he grabbed her arm again and led her back to the bridge. “This is the fastest imperial vessel we have, why haven’t we arrived yet?” he demanded, enjoying the feel of everyone on the bridge jumping in response. 

“We should be entering the system within ten minutes,” the vice admiral said. Tarkin had been summoned to Coruscant to meet with the Emperor and for the moment, he was grateful. 

“Not good enough,” he said as they all flinched again. “Prepare my shuttle and get a move on it.”

“Yes, my lord!”

When the air chamber door closed and he could finally breathe a sigh of relief that they were out from under the nosy imperials’ eyes, he sat down on the bench and looked up at her. His heart was aching more every second since he’d found her. She studied him for a moment but then looked around.

“I didn’t know the Emperor could turn into a room,” she murmured, and he smiled in spite of himself. It was good to hear that fire again, to see her start acting or sounding more normal. 

“It’s a Sith trick,” he said. “The true power of the dark side.”

She turned back towards him and looked him over. “That would explain a lot,” she said softly. “We were looking for lightsaber wielding maniacs, not weird looking rooms.”

He watched her for a moment, wanting her to come closer. Wanting to hold her and protect her and love her again. Not knowing if she’d let him even if she knew what lived beneath this helmet. 

“Come here,” he wheezed. She had no reason to obey him, but she did anyways. He turned her around and turned off the force cuffs, letting them fall to the floor. “Give me your feet.” She lifted one foot up onto the bench between his legs as she rubbed her wrists and watched him in confusion. He took off the foot restraint and threw it to the side while she switched feet. He took that one off too and dropped it. Then he sat back against the wall and sighed. 

She stood there watching him, he knew she was confused but she wasn’t trying to run away. “Why did you bring me here?” she asked finally. “Instead of to the Emperor? Why do you care if he took advantage of me? Why are you gentle with me? I’m the enemy, aren’t I?”

He lifted his eyes to her face, knowing she couldn’t see them. And then he dropped his head. He brought his hands up and unclasped his helmet plate, then the top of his helmet. Then the bottom and the neck guard. He shouldn’t be doing this, but suddenly all he really wanted was to look at her with his own eyes. 

“Ahsoka,” the hoarse whisper was weak and infuriating. 

She read him for a moment and then her eyes widened. “Anakin?” She was on her knees in front of him, reaching up to touch his face. He couldn’t help but lean into her soft touch and feel the heaviness bubble up in him as a mountain of feelings grew through the cracks. There were tears in her eyes as she explored the scars with her hands. “You’re alive?” She was crying now. 

He brought his hands up to her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Ahsoka. I’m so sorry. Look what I’ve become. I’ve failed you.”

“No.” she shook her head. “You didn’t.” 

“You don’t know what I’ve done.”

“Maybe not, but I know who you are,” she whispered through the tears. “And you’re still alive, even after fourteen years.” 

“But look at the cost of it.” He dropped his head. He didn’t know why he needed her to tell him he was a monster. He needed her to be harsh, to be cruel, to reject him so that he could seal his fate. Latch that last door and throw away the key. But she didn’t. She just looked up at him, her eyes as beautiful, loving and accepting as they’d always been. 

She sat back on her heels, her hands still resting on his knees. “Virii was a former Jedi,” she whispered. “A year younger than myself. He knew about us; how close we were. He knew I loved you, he wanted to know if you were still alive.” She scooted closer. “I couldn’t say, I hadn’t felt you in fourteen years. You were just missing. It didn’t feel like you were dead, but I didn’t know where you could be. And maybe most of what he said, given his true nature was a lie, but that part felt real. How much he knew about us.”

“Did he hurt you?” he asked hoarsely, but she shook her head.

“No, he just reminded me how lonely I really was.” She fell silent for a few minutes, deep in thought. But she didn’t let him go, she didn’t move away. Then she looked back up at him. “I’ve missed you more than I thought possible. Living without you has been the worst kind of pain.” She stood up and came over to sit next to him. “I don’t want to be one of your inquisitors, but I want to stay with you. I want to get you out of here. Whatever tomorrow holds, I need you in it.”

“I didn’t know until I saw you there, how badly I needed you too.” He looked down as she intertwined her fingers with his and leaned down on his shoulder. “I wish I’d known you were alive sooner, maybe none of this would’ve happened. But when I found your lightsaber, your cruiser... I didn’t know how you could’ve survived that.”

She turned and kissed him softly on the cheek. “You taught me well.” She squeezed his hand, and even though he couldn’t feel it, he’d felt the movement anyways, the gesture, the emotion behind it. “We’ll get through this. We’ll find a way. Like we always did.”

He choked up. “Now that you’re by my side again, I have no doubt.”


End file.
